Abstract
Many anthropologists of Inner Asia have examined the use of ritual cairns that pepper the landscape of the region. These cairns are devoted to a variety of spirits and are typically placed on territorial borders. Cairn rites devoted to these spirits can be both collective and individualized affairs, and some anthropologists have suggested that collective cairn rites may facilitate a stronger sense of in-group solidarity, which, in turn, must be predicated on a heightened sense of trustworthiness signaled by ritual participants. The present work investigates whether or not people in the Tyva Republic find others who regularly participate in cairn practices as more trustworthy than those who do not engage in such rituals. Indeed, ethnic Tyvans who regularly participate in these rites are perceived as more trustworthy than ethnic Tyvans, Christian Tyvans, and Christian Russians who do not. These findings strongly suggest that cairn practices ritualistically display commitment to others and thus help explain why the tradition persists throughout Inner Asia.
